Patent · US Expired

Device for stabilizing the focus of a microscope

US5703715A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
3References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 16, 1996
Grant dateDec 30, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 16, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B21/241
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A device for stabilizing the focus in a microscope (1) is described which has an objective (2) and a specimen stage (3), constructed in a movable fashion, for the purpose of setting the focus. The specimen stage (3) is constructed such that it can be moved via a toothed rack (4) and a drive gear (5) along the optical axis (22) of the objective (2). When the microscope (1) is heated by integrated electronic components (6) and/or an illuminating device (7), the body (13) of the microscope expands, and the microscope (1) is thereby defocused. Two rods (8 and 9) connected to one another, which have a different thermal expansion, are arranged between the toothed rack (4) and the specimen stage (3) for the purpose of compensating for the defocusing.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.